Xiaomi makes great strides with Mi Band 3

It’s been two years since one of our best-selling products, Mi Band 2, entered the smart fitness band market. Since its launch, our Mi Band 2 has ranked among the top three wearable devices in the world with more than 15.7 million units sold in 2017, according to a report from IDC.

Last week its highly anticipated successor, Mi Band 3, was unveiled during our annual launch event. While still offering comprehensive monitoring functions at an attractive price, Mi Band 3 is packed with new and exciting features. So how does it differ from the previous model? Let’s start with its design and appearance.

Mi Band 3 (left) vs Mi Band 2 (right)

Sporty Yet Elegant

Like its predecessors, Mi Band 3 sports a minimalist design. Featuring an elegantly rounded 0.78-inch unibody display panel with an embedded button and glossy finish. Mi Band 2 however, sports a flat design with a smaller 0.42-inch screen and an aluminum-finish physical button located below the display. Mi Band 3’s elastomer wristband is made with hypoallergenic materials which feel soft and comfortable to the skin. Its inner lining where the main body is mounted to the band has been redesigned, wrapping around the body more tightly to secure it from falling out of the wristband.

Displaying text message content from the phone

Improved Display and Alerts

Mi Band 3 uses a 0.78-inch OLED display which offers 128×80 resolution with up to 193 PPI pixel density, much larger than Mi Band 2’s 0.42-inch screen. This allows Mi Band 3 to display more information than ever before. In fact, its touchscreen display can feature alerts and notifications from your phone with up to 26 Chinese characters on one screen. Mi Band 3 even supports syncing alerts from other apps installed on your phone. Its built-in alert function works independently, meaning you’ll never miss an alert even if your phone is turned off.

One touch to mute/hang up phone calls

Mi Band 3 has a lot more to offer when it comes to displaying content on your wrist. With just a few swipes on the touchscreen, you can check up to three days of weather forecast, start or stop a stopwatch, mute or hang up unwanted calls, and even find your lost phone – very handy if you’re always forgetting where you put it!

Can submerge up to 50m deep in waters

Real-time Sports Data and 5 ATM Water Resistance

Much like Mi Band 2, Mi Band 3 has all the basic fitness functions, including counting steps, monitoring runs, measuring heart-rate and recording sleep patterns. Adding on to these, Mi Band 3 now provides real-time sport data. A dedicated sport interface is activated when you begin a workout on the Mi Fit app, allowing you to view your real-time workout stats by simply glancing at the touchscreen display. For even better fitness results, you can set exercise targets and Mi Band 3 will notify you once you have reached your goal. The updated pedometer algorithm yields even more accurate readings than ever before.

Likely the most highly anticipated feature of Mi Band 3 is its 5 ATM water resistance, a huge upgrade from the previous IP67 water resistance (splash or shower-proof). Now, users can swim with their Mi Band 3 up to a depth of 50m. Great news for swimmers and surfers!

Key Specs Comparison Chart

Mi Band 3

Mi Band 2

Sensor Size

17.9 x 46.9 x 12mm

15.7 x 40.3 x 10.5mm

Display Size

0.78-inch OLED

touchscreen display

0.42-inch OLED display

Display Resolution

128 x 80

72 x 40

Sensors

Tri-axial accelerometer,

PPG heart rate sensor

Tri-axial accelerometer,

PPG heart rate sensor

Water Resistance

5ATM (up to 50m)

IP67 (splash resistance)

Battery Capacity

110mAh

70mAh

Input Current

45mA (typ) 65mA (max)

250mA max

Standby Time*

20 days

20 days

Band Material

Thermoplastic elastomer, aluminum alloy

Thermoplastic elastomer, aluminum alloy

Compatibility

Bluetooth 4.2 BLE

Bluetooth 4.0 BLE

Phone Unlock

Yes, supports any device

running Android 5.0 and above with Bluetooth 4.0, or any device with Smart Lock

*Actual usage may vary depending on environment, frequency of use, and other factors.

NFC version for easy payment, available later

With its large OLED touchscreen, improved display and notifications, 50m water resistance, highly customizable interface and more, Mi Band 3 offers an extensive range of functions at the honest price of RMB 169. An NFC version of the band will be available in China at a later date, allowing for easy wireless payment.

With this latest addition to the Mi Band series, Xiaomi believes Mi Band 3 will continue to remain one of the most popular smart wearables in the world.